In the related art, a waveguide is used so as to effectively propagate electromagnetic waves having a region exceeding GHz, and in various devices using the waveguide, a waveguide switch for switching propagation paths of the electromagnetic waves is required.
As a structure which is used as the waveguide switch in the related art, a rotary type waveguide switch shown in FIG. 21 is known. A waveguide switch 10 includes a rotor portion 11 which is formed in a columnar shape and in which a center of a circle is rotatably supported by a shaft, and a stator portion 15 in which an inner circumferential wall faces an outer circumferential wall of the rotor portion 11 with a slight interval therebetween.
In the rotor portion 11, a first inner transmission line 12 which linearly penetrates from an outer circumferential wall to the opposite outer circumferential wall through a center along a direction orthogonal to a rotation center axis of the rotor portion 11, a second inner transmission line 13 which arcuately penetrates a portion between outer circumferential walls in which central angles are deviated by 45° from both ends of the first inner transmission line 12 in one side of the first inner transmission line 12, and a third inner transmission line 14 which arcuately penetrates a portion between outer circumferential walls in which central angles are deviated by 45° from both ends of the first inner transmission line 12 in the other side of the first inner transmission line 12 are provided. The three inner transmission lines 12 to 14 are formed at the same height.
In addition, in the stator portion 15, a first outer transmission line 16 and a second outer transmission line which penetrate from outer circumferential walls to inner circumferential walls along the direction orthogonal to the rotation center axis of the rotor portion 11 are provided, and a third outer transmission line 18 and a fourth outer transmission line 19 are provided so as to be orthogonal to the first and second outer transmission lines 16 and 17. The four outer transmission lines 16 to 19 are formed at the same height as the heights of the inner transmission lines 12 to 14.
In the waveguide switch 10 having the above-described structure, as shown in FIG. 21(a), if a rotation position of the rotor portion 11 is set in a state where the first inner transmission line 12, the first outer transmission line 16, and the second outer transmission line 17 are linearly arranged, it is possible to connect the first outer transmission line 16 and the second outer transmission line 17 to each other.
In addition, if the rotor portion 11 rotates left by 45° from the state of FIG. 21(a), as shown in FIG. 21(b), the first outer transmission line 16 and the fourth outer transmission line 19 are connected to each other via the second inner transmission line 13, and the second outer transmission line 17 and the third outer transmission line are connected to each other via the third inner transmission line 14.
Inversely, if the rotor portion 11 rotates right by 45° from the state of FIG. 21(a), as shown in FIG. 21(c), the second outer transmission line 17 and the fourth outer transmission line 19 are connected to each other via the second inner transmission line 13, and the first outer transmission line 16 and the third outer transmission line are connected to each other via the third inner transmission line 14.
Accordingly, for example, when electromagnetic waves are input to the first outer transmission line 16, the electromagnetic waves can be output from the second outer transmission line 17 in the state of FIG. 21(a), the electromagnetic waves can be output from the fourth outer transmission line 19 in the state of FIG. 21(b), and the electromagnetic waves can be output from the third outer transmission line 18 in the state of FIG. 21(c).
In addition, for example, the above-described rotary type waveguide switch is disclosed in Patent Document 1.